CDs + Vinyl:
Adna – Run, Lucifer CD/LP (Despotz)
“Run, Lucifer is the now Berlin based Adna’s second LP following 2014’s Night, it marks a huge step-up from the Swedish native. A release that takes her haunting songcraft and beautiful, affecting vocals and adds compelling electronics and devastating atmosphere to beguiling results that both soothes and resonates with wounded souls.” – Just Music I Like
Audio Visceral – Cildce Bihaver CD (Sudden Death)
Audio Visceral is all about earnest, catchy, energetic punk rock. The music is raw and upbeat, the songs are short and bittersweet. Influenced by everything from surf to hardcore, the members of A/V are all veterans of the Ontario underground punk rock scene.
Avantasia – Ghostlights CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
Appearing alongside one of symphonic metal’s most recognized names on Ghostlights is Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation), Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche Operation Mindcrime), Michael Kiske (Unisonic, Helloween), Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), Bruce Kulick (Kiss, Grand Funk Railroad, etc.) and more.
Basement – Promise Everything CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Run For Cover)
“Ipswich band Basement went on indefinite hiatus in 2013, just after releasing their second record Colourmeinkindness. Accruing a dedicated posthumous following, the band came back with a three song EP in 2014, showing that a break hadn’t stopped their progression in style. If Colourmeinkindness epitomized the grunge worship that defined 2012, then Promise Everything sees Basement finding the perfect balance between aggressive and melodic. It sounds like Jimmy Eat World via Soundgarden, so, basically it has everything you’ve been waiting for in a rock record since forever.” – Noisey [Music By Vice]
Black Tusk – Pillars Of Ash CD/LP+MP3 (Relapse)
After four full-lengths, numerous splits and EPs and thousands of shows under their belts, punk/metal power trio Black Tusk was faced with an immense and unexpected tragedy in late 2014 when founding bassist/vocalist Jonathan Athon passed away after a motorcycle accident in his hometown. Now, as a testament to his profound and lasting legacy on the heavy music scene, the band release Pillars Of Ash, their final recordings with Athon.
Bloc Party – Hymns CD/2xLP (Vagrant)
Hymns is the fifth studio album by British indie rock band Bloc Party and the first to feature new members Justin Harris (formerly of Menomena) and 21-year-old YouTube-discovery drummer Louise Bartle. In a press release, co-founder Russell Lissak stated “It’s still a very live record. Everything has been played, though it doesn’t necessarily sound like that. We take a lot of influence from electronic music, for example, and then try to bring that into a completely different environment.” Meanwhile, Kele Okereke said, “What Russell is doing now is completely blowing my mind. He’s using the guitar as an instrument of white noise, as well as a melodic tool. I’m super-excited about getting this music in front of people.”
Brimstone Coven – Black Magic CD (Metal Blade)
New album from the West Virginian dark occult rockers. Inspired by the Appalachian’s darkness and mysticism (such as the Mothman, a winged creature that emerged in the ’60s; Screaming Jenny; and the Phantom Of Flatwoods), the quartet’s heavy rock also pushes the atmospheric envelope when the mood fits.
Bury Tomorrow – Earthbound CD (Nuclear Blast)
F fourth studio album by the British melodic metalcore band.
Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crépuscule CD (Profound Lore)
An insane and dark masterwork on which the Montreal band’s old-school Finnish death metal influences (Crematory, Abhorrence, early Xysma and of course the aforementioned Demilich) blend with echoes of Pestilence, Nocturnus, Timeghoul and Ripping Corpse throughout seven massive and ambitious pieces.
Choke Chains – Choke Chains CD/LP (Black Gladiator/Slovenly)
Black Gladiator is in the business of pushing punk crudity like it’s going out of style (it ain’t), and with this debut LP by Michigan’s Choke Chains there’s no mistaking the label’s intentions.
Phil Collins – Face Value [Reissue/1981] 2xCD/2xLP (Rhino)
Phil Collins – Both Sides [Reissue/1993] 2xCD/2xLP (Rhino)
Phil Collins – Take A Look At Me Now 4xCD/4xLP (Rhino)
Remastered reissues, each featuring a bonus disc of demos and B-sides. (Take A Look At Me Now combines the two titles into one package with empty spaces for future re-releases. Next up: Hello I Must Be Going and Dance Into The Light due February 26.)
Conan – Revengeance CD/LP (Napalm)
Fresh from battle, dripping from the gore exposed by Blood Eagle, Conan return with their newest release. With inspiration taken from video games, retro sword and sorcery movies, ancient battle scenes and the hum and aroma of warm output valves, Revengeance is six songs of total heaviness, unsurpassed in their blend of brutality and tone, groove and flow.
Cornelius Asperger and The Bi-Curious Unicorns – Cornelius Asperger and The Bi-Curious Unicorns CD (Reptilian/Boner)
The highly dubious idea known as Cornelius Asperger and the Bi-Curious Unicorns was concocted when vocalist Sammytown (from distorto-punk virtuosos Fang) got back together after a 30-year hiatus with original Fang guitarist Tom Flynn (formerly of Star Pimp, Duh and the Melvins) for a cruise into the musical unknown. Also buying a ticket for this weird and wonderful three-hour-tour were bassist Dave Chavez (Verbal Abuse, Sick Pleasure, Code of Honor) and local clown-around-town drummist Stark Raving Brad (Hellbillys, Marginal Prophets). Cornelius Asperger and The Bi-Curious Unicorns includes various examples of dirtbag heavy-ness, blues-metal arty-ness and punk rock noisey-ness.
The Crookes – Lucky Ones CD/LP (Modern Outsider)
The Crookes have always been well read and versed in tales of love and the space in-between, but with Lucky Ones they prove they are dreamers who resonate more with a life well lived. “I Wanna Waste My Time On You” is a pertinent departure from the melancholy, and reinvents Romance in a bold and engaging light. The Line Of Best Fit said, “Its enchanting, distorted refrains build into a pop chorus purpose-built to sweep you off your feet.”
Cross Record – Wabi Sabi CD/LP (Ba Da Bing!)
Emily Cross’s wispy, silvery singing and minimal presentation contrast with the dark intensity of booming drums, thick guitar and destabilized electronics. It can be loud, stirring and unsettling, but also quietly still and serene. Husband Dan Dusynski produced and engineered the record, alongside production from one of Cross’s close friends Theo Karon, while Austin-based musician Thor Harris (Swans, Bill Callahan) also contributed.
Danko Jones – Live At Wacken CD+DVD/Blu-ray (UDR)
Featuring their 18-song 2015 set and various bonus material items spread across the formats, Live At Wacken provides fiery bursts of energy, quirky alternative riffery and Jones’ own electric personality, one which has seen him become an independent commentator, spoken word artist and columnist for The Huffington Post. Bonus material includes a track-by-track commentary, an exclusive backstage interview with Jones and his spoken word performance from the 2012 Wacken Festival. (Also available on stand-alone Blu-ray.) Vinyl edition due February 19.
Deerhoof – Fever 121614 CD (Polyvinyl)
Released last November on vinyl – now available on CD. In December 2014, Japanese fans were treated to a borderline unheard of 13-date tour spanning the length of their small country. On one special night, the band took to the bandstand in a tiny Tokyo club while the tape was rolling. The result is Fever 121614. With gems from throughout the band’s ridiculously deep back catalog, this 12-song set represents Deerhoof at their rawest.
Dream Theater – The Astonishing 2xCD (Roadrunner)
Thirteenth studio album by the veteran prog metal band – an ambitious double-act rock opera. The episodic narrative, in the tradition of earlier concept albums like 2002’s Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, turns on an effort by the Ravenskill Rebel Militia to overthrow the Great Northern Empire of the Americas in the year 2285.
Exumer – Raging Tides CD (Metal Blade)
New album from the influential German thrash veterans.
Florist – The Birds Outside Sang CD/LP+MP3 (Double Whammy)
“The Birds Outside Sang is an unassuming, deeply personal record that manages to shoehorn some big ideas into three-minute pop songs. It’s an album that invites us to appreciate the mundane, to look out at the world and be awed by the majesty and fragility of it all.” — Pitchfork
Bill Frisell – When You Wish Upon A Star CD (Okeh/Sony Masterworks)
When You Wish Upon A Star features jazz guitarist Bill Frisell’s arrangements and interpretations of music for film and television. The album is more than an homage to a set of iconic scores and the choice of music is both inspired and carefully balanced. For the first time in many years, Frisell used vocals on many of the tracks. Petra Haden, daughter of the late bass player Charlie Haden, is the featured vocalist and her vocal style is a perfect fit for Frisell’s arrangements. Included on the album are the classic music themes from To Kill A Mockingbird, Psycho, Once Upon A Time In The West and The Godfather all with Bill’s refined interpretations.
Kevin Gates – Islah CD (Atlantic)
New hip-hop from New Orleans. In a statement via Hot New Hip Hop, Gates explained the meaning of the album title Islah. “’Islah’ means to reform, to improve, to make better, and I believe that’s what my first daughter did to me. So I named my first album after my first daughter; because it improved me, it made me better.”
The Giraffes – Usury CD/LP (Silver Sleeve/Lightyear)
“The Giraffes’ story is a long and tempestuous one, filled with member switches, a few temporary break-ups, a gun fight at a White Castle and loads of insane shows across the land, leaving a growing legion of fans with dented heads from the band’s pummeling, feral rock. But when, after more than a decade, singer Aaron Lazar called it a day onstage in 2011—and the band answered with a rarities comp called Farewell Fat Astronaut in 2012—things really seemed kaput this time.
Well think again, as the band that can’t be stopped is back with their sixth full-length album, Usury, [which] amps up the Giraffes’ herky-jerk rhythms and spindly guitar elements to a level which they ought to be able to bring to full loud fruition in the live setting.” – CMJ
Hexvessel – When We Are Death CD/LP+CD (Century Media)
Psychedelic forest folk.
Benji Hughes – Songs In The Key Of Animals 2xCD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Charlotte, North Carolina’s Benji Hughes fronted a rock band in the ‘90s. He’s written commercial jingles (“Got A Little Captain In You?” for Captain Morgan rum). He’s made music for film and television (Walk Hard, Eastbound & Down). He released 2008’s A Love Extreme, his excellent double-LP debut record. But these ventures aren’t different hats Hughes wears. They’re not different paths traveled. This is Hughes playing in different keys. Now, for his first record on Merge, Benji Hughes is playing Songs In The Key Of Animals. Recorded over two years mostly at Frisbie studios in New York, the album is 41 minutes of pop-music exploration.
Sierra Hull – Weighted Mind CD/LP (Rounder)
With instrumentation comprised largely of mandolin, bass, and vocals, this is genre-transcending music at its best, with production by Béla Fleck and special harmony vocal guests Alison Krauss, Abigail Washburn, and Rhiannon Giddens adding to the luster. Béla Fleck special guests on banjo on two tracks and duo partner, Ethan Jodziewicz provides the bass.
Karsh Kale – Up CD (Six Degrees)
Up is the new album from Britishborn, NYC-raised producer and multi-instrumentalist of Indian heritage, Karsh Kale. He has been featured legend Zakir Hussain in Bill Laswell’s Tabla Beat Science, opened at the Hollywood Bowl for Bollywood’s biggest composer, AR Rahman and spun records at the White House for President Obama.
Conrad Keely – Original Machines CD/2xLP (Superball Music)
Debut solo album from the co-frontman of …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. The material was written while travelling, largely in Cambodia, where Keely currently lives. Recording took place this past summer in Montreal, and the album apparently finds the songwriter exploring styles outside of Trail Of Dead’s noisy indie rock sound. According to a press release, the songwriter has been “collaborating with other musicians, both expat and Cambodian, on material as diverse as Irish folk and American bluegrass, to Khmer classics from the golden age of Cambodian psychedelic rock.”
Ketzer – Starless CD (Metal Blade)
With a freshly inked deal with Metal Blade, Ketzer bids farewell to muscle-bound goats and blackened thrash metal in favor of a more mature and introspective dark rock ’n’ roll. – Team Rock
M.O.D. – The Greatest Video Game Music III: Choral Edition CD (Decca)
A choir of 140 singers comes together in thrilling arrangements of selections from Final Fantasy X, Assassin’s Creed IV, Dragon Age Inquisition, Portal 2 and many more.
Walter Martin – Arts & Leisure CD/LP (Ile Flottante)
Walter Martin (co-writer, lyricist and multi-instrumentalist of The Walkmen) follows up 2014’s We’re All Young Together with Arts & Leisure, a collection of songs that take inspiration from Martin’s years of world travel as a musician, his younger days working in art museums and what he refers to as his ‘shaky grasp of college art history.’ The inventive use of drums and percussion, conversational lyrical approach, and trademark vintage instrumentation that Martin brought to The Walkmen are employed to new effect on his first big production since the band split.
Mark Masri – Beating Heart CD (Green Hill)
A pop-classical crossover collection featuring a Canadian vocal phenom.
The Miamis – We Deliver: The Lost Band Of The CBGB Era (1974-1979) CD (Omnivore)
The Miamis were legends in New York in the 1970s, playing shows at CBGB, Max’s Kansas City, and The Mudd Club with artists like Blondie, Television, Ramones, Talking Heads, and even Kiss. And, while the crowds loved them, the record business at the time couldn’t decide whether they were too pop for punk, or too punk for pop. The best of the band’s studio material is collected on We Deliver, as well as demos and live tracks from CBGB – including a cover of Sinatra’s “That’s Life,” recorded two years before Sid Vicious would tackle “My Way.”
Buddy Miller & Friends – Cayamo Sesssions At Sea CD/LP+MP3 (New West)
In 2012, Cayamo veteran Buddy Miller brought along some recording gear and set up a studio in the ship’s library where he and his Sirius XM co-host Jim Lauderdale recorded episodes for their Buddy & Jim Radio Show. Buddy thought the radio show recordings sounded really good so, in 2014, he brought more gear, an engineer and some great musicians. They took over the Bliss Lounge where Buddy set up a temporary recording studio between the lanes of the bowling alley. For two days and nights, guest artists came to record and fans came to watch. It was so much fun, they did it all again in 2015. The audio presented on Cayamo Sesssions At Sea comes from those sessions.
MONEY – Suicide Songs CD/LP (Bella Union)
Sophomore album from the Manchester trio. “From the ethereal echoing of introductory track ‘I Am The Lord’ to the somber build-up of its 8 minute behemoth ‘Night Came,’ Suicide Songs relies on a wall of strings and glittering accompaniment. Whether it refuses to relent for its entirety or peaks and dips as in ‘Night Came,’ the bright and unrelenting sounds play against both the morbid poetic lyricism and strong vocal performance of Jamie Lee.” – Renowned For Sound
Nevermen – Nevermen CD/LP (Ipecac)
Nevermen is the leaderless trio of Tunde Adebimpe (TV On The Radio), Adam “Doseone” Drucker (Anticon/cLOUDDEAD) and Mike Patton (Faith No More/Tomahawk). It is neither side-project nor super group; it’s merely meant to be — a years-in-the-making partnership in which these men shared all duties, discovering their collective sound with the sort of glee and freedom usually reserved for first-timers. Amid this wild, weird churn of rock, pop, rap, soul, and other, it’s shockingly easy to lose track of who’s singing at what moment, and that’s the point: to quote Tunde/Adam/Mike in song, “The frontman digests its self.”
Night Beats – Who Sold My Generation CD/LP (Heavenly/PIAS)
“Seattle-based garage-psych berserkers take it to the 99th floor on an album that positions them alongside Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees as cutting edge garage rock innovators. Opener ‘Celebration #1’ kicks off with an antique found-sound snippet before pitching straight into an intense trance groove that brings to mind Alan Vega jamming with The Red Krayola. ‘60s garage rock enthusiasts might hear echoes of Higher Elevation’s tripped-out nugget ‘The Diamond Mine,’ but then we’re quickly speeding into ‘Power Child’, and it becomes crystal clear that Night Beats are on a purposeful trip on their Heavenly Recordings debut. The second track encapsulates the satisfying rawness and louche, bohemian spirit that suffuses this album, as Danny Lee Blackwell’s guitar cascades shards of ‘60s soul, early Stones/Pretty Things and untrammelled psych freakout.” – Louder Than War
POP ETC – Souvenir CD/LP (POP ETC/Rough Trade)
Second full length album from the NYC-based indie band (formerly The Morning Benders).
Primal Fear – Rulebreaker CD/CD+DVD (Frontiers)
New album from the German metal band – available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds two bonus tracks plus a DVD featuring music videos and a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the making of the album.
Charlie Puth – Nine Track Mind CD/LP (Artist Partner Group/Atlantic)
Debut studio album by the songwriter/pianist. Includes duets with Meghan Trainor (“Marvin Gaye”) and Selena Gomez (“We Don’t Talk Anymore”).
Resurrection Kings – Resurrection Kings CD (Frontiers)
Resurrection Kings is a new band centered around Craig Goldy, former Dio guitar player.
Aubrie Sellers – New City Blues CD/LP+MP3 (Aubrie Sellers Music)
The daughter of country star Lee Ann Womack and hit songwriter Jason Sellers, Aubrie’s influences owe as much to Led Zeppelin as to icons like George Jones and Ralph Stanley. After honing her craft on-stage for a number of years, Sellers began working with veteran producer (and stepfather) Frank Liddell on a set of songs that framed her dulcet voice against a dark backdrop of electric guitars and plenty of attitude.
Serenity – Codex Atlanticus CD (Napalm)
New album from the symphonic metal giants.
Sia – This Is Acting CD (RCA)
“On her seventh LP, Sia reclaims songs that Adele, Rihanna and others turned down. This Is Acting opens with two songs that Sia hoped to land on Adele’s 25. Her approximation of the phrasing and tone of the world’s most beloved singer over the roiling piano on ‘Bird Set Free’ is uncanny, while ‘Alive’ is a throwback soul crusher that would’ve been the hardest-hitting thing on that blockbuster LP. ‘Footprints’ is an orphan from a Beyoncé writing session with refrigerator-magnet-level lyrics (comparing a relationship’s progress to ‘two footprints in the sand’) that Bey [passed] on. The high point is ‘One Million Bullets,’ the only song she wrote with herself in mind. Against a dusky minor-key piano, Sia offers herself as her lover’s protector, muse and martyr – her voice cracking perfectly in the chorus as she asks if they’d take a shot for her too. If this is acting, it’s the kind of performance that hits as hard as life itself.” – Rolling Stone
Simo – Let Love Show The Way CD/LP+MP3 (Provogue)
Simo is an adventurous rock & roll trinity, a thriving creative partnership completed by JD Simo’s combustible guitar playing and soulful vocals. J. D. Simo spins soulful psychedelic blues rock with an improvisational bent reminiscent of the Grateful Dead and Stevie Ray Vaughan.” — Rolling Stone
Dr. Lonnie Smith – Evolution CD (Blue Note)
“Evolution is Smith’s first album for Blue Note in forty-five years, and it’s a real humdinger. Everything we’ve come to expect from him, included the unexpected, is here. The album is populated with raunchy riffs, greasy grooves, soulful sermons, tidal organ shifts, moody statements, hard-hitting solos, and punchy interjections, all of which help to enliven throwback songs, standards, and new pieces alike. This is past, present, and future Smith rolled into one.” – All About Jazz
St. Lucia – Matter CD/2xLP (Columbia)
Matter produced by Chris Zane (Passion Pit, The Walkmen), and is a departure for principal songwriter and bandleader Jean-Philip Grobler, who takes a more direct, essential approach. In his words, “If the last album sounded like the tropics, this album is the desert.” St. Lucia’s version of the desert is still an inviting place, though, one inspired by blending Grobler’s fearless embrace of ‘80s pop, R&B, and alternative rock influences into an instantly captivating concoction.
Tedeschi Trucks Band – Let Me Get By CD/2xCD/2xLP (Fantasy)
Let Me Get By is the third studio album from Tedeschi Trucks Band, featuring ten new, original songs that stand together as a testament to the spirit and commitment of the tightly-knit 12-member ensemble. Driven by Susan’s soaring, spiritually charged vocals and Derek’s masterfully lyrical slide-guitar, the band’s musical talents are on display in full force. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe includes an 8-track bonus disc that features live recordings from the legendary Beacon Theatre in New York as well as alternate mixes, early song takes and additional studio material, an expanded booklet with exclusive studio and live photos, and a custom-designed vintage amp box.
Toothgrinder – Nocturnal Masquerade CD/LP (Spinefarm)
“Not unlike a techier Every Time I Die, Nocturnal Masquerade combines a f**k-all attitude, tightly riveted melodies and rhythms, and a sense of abrasive aggression into a 42-minute package that feels like getting a piece of steel wool shoved down your throat—yet it remains hooky enough to wash it down with something sweet afterward.” – Angry Metal Guy
Franck Vigroux & Matthew Bourne – Radioland: Radio-Activity Revisited CD+Book/LP+CD (Leaf)
Radioland weaves its own highly individual mesh of electronics, including blizzards of analog, antique futurist percussive patterns, rewired melodies, processed versions of sounds recently discovered in space by NASA, short and longwave radio samples, hurricanes of modulated electronics, vocoders ebbing and throbbing; it’s like the detritus of 40 years of electropop all colliding at once. However, Vigroux and Bourne’s backgrounds in improvisation enable them to master all these forces unleashed, occasionally dropping back into periods of near-silence, Stockhausen-esque moments of eerie free floating, in which all that’s audible is the sound of the universe breathing.
Emily Wells – Promise CD (Thesis + Instinct/Lefse)
Eighth album from the composer/multi-instrumentalist – “a soul record in baroque clothing… a pauper’s opera.” Wells’ songwriting combines electronics, orchestral strings, jazz structures, pop sensibilities, and vibrato-laden vocals into one eclectic package. Vinyl edition due February 19.
Wet – Don’t You CD/LP (Columbia)
New album from Brooklyn-based electronic pop trio. “…slow, stately, soul-inflected synthpop.” – Stereogum
Wet Ones – Wet Ones CD/LP (Black Gladiator/Slovenly)
Punk rock courtesy of ex-members of Fag Cop.
Daniel Wohl – Holographic CD (New Amsterdam)
The music of Paris-born electroacoustic composer Daniel Wohl has been called “beautiful and maze-like” (Pitchfork) and “boldly surreal” (New York Times). Wohl’s second album of original compositions, Holographic, represents a leap forward in the blending of electronic sounds and acoustic instruments. Co-produced and mixed by Paul Corley (Oneohtrix Point Never, Ben Frost), Holographic features collaborations and appearances by musical luminaries Lucky Dragons, Caroline Shaw, Olga Bell, and ensembles Bang On A Can All-Stars, Mantra Percussion, Mivos Quartet and Iktus Percussion.
Saul Williams – MartyrLoserKing CD/LP (The Fader Label)
MartyrLoserKing is the fifth studio album from musician, actor, poet, and activist Saul Williams. A thinly veiled concept album carved from the tales of its main character a computer hacker living in Burundi with the screen name mrtyr_lsr_kng the album confronts a bevy of timely issues head on and unapologetically, from economic disparity and police brutality to issues of privacy in the digital age. “Hacking is the main theme and undercurrent of Saul Williams’ new album Martyr Loser King in which he wraps every line and sample in cyberpunk clothing, especially with the warping of ‘glitch art’. Glitch is a movement which involves breaking down and subverting reality, intentionally distorting and manipulating photography, artwork or (in this case) sound to be something else entirely. The album is layered in loops and awash with these glitch effects. For a man so enamoured with words, it’s an interesting challenge to make them sound so off kilter with this manipulation.” – God Is In The TV
Yanni – Sensuous Chill CD (Portrait)
A lush sonic experience featuring 10 brand new tracks inspired by his seeming infinite world travels.
Your Friend – Gumpton CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Taryn Miller is the Kansas native that makes music under the moniker Your Friend and Gumption is her debut album. Gumption was recorded with producer Nicolas Vernhes (The War On Drugs, Deerhunter). He helped channel Taryn’s penchant for drones, loops and found sounds into melodic elements that when married create powerfully catchy, sonic meditations. From the thoughtful and brooding opener “Heathering” to “Come Back From It,” an almost ‘pop’ song, built around a drum loop and some crackling, droning guitars from a scrapped demo to the album closer “Who Will I Be In The Morning” a bright and shimmering tune that ponders the moment between sleep and consciousness. Taryn has made a stunning guitar record that encompasses modern recording technologies and incredible musical technique but leaves her humanity and creative vision complete intact.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Jack Bruce – The Lost Tapes DVD+CD (Laser Media/MRI Associated)
Four live tracks (recorded in 1991 and 2001) on the DVD, and nine rare/alternate cuts on the CD from the late Cream bassist/songwriter.
Danko Jones – Live At Wacken Blu-ray (UDR)
Featuring their 18 song 2015 set and various bonus material items spread across the formats, Live At Wacken provides fiery bursts of energy, quirky alternative riffery and Jones’ own electric personality, one which has seen him become an independent commentator, spoken word artist and columnist for The Huffington Post. Bonus material includes a track-by-track commentary, an exclusive backstage interview with Jones and his spoken word performance from the 2012 Wacken Festival. (Also available on stand-alone Blu-ray.)
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
A-Trak – We All Fall Down 7” (Fool’s Gold)
A-Trak’s single “We All Fall Down” transcends dance music’s genres and trends. It’s a welcome blend of throwback attitude (’80s electro soul, ’90s Chicago house, two-stepping Y2K chart toppers), thoroughly modern production, and earworm melodies that feel timeless from the very first listen. Features Jamie Lidell. Limited clear vinyl.
Benny Boeldt – 8 Of Cups LP+MP3 (Carpark)
8 Of Cups is the beginning of a new chapter for Benny Boeldt, the Baltimore artist also known as Adventure. It’s the first record under Boeldt’s own name after releasing three albums as Adventure on Carpark Records. 8 Of Cups veers from wacky to beautiful to chaotic; using gorgeous melodies, hyperactive noise, and off-the-wall samples. The title is a reference to the tarot card, which Boeldt found to be an accurate representation of his life as he made the album.
Alessia Cara – Know It All LP (Def Jam)
Recently released on CD – now available on (pink) vinyl. “Alessia Cara –19-year-old singer/songwriter from Brampton, outside Toronto – is lightly famous. She’s a wearable degree of known due to her anthem for introverts, this year’s ‘Here.’ With it she hoisted a flag for the anti-social butterflies and issued a challenge of sorts to those who dream about embracing their true outside-the-lines selves. Her level gaze out, from a life just grazed by the commercial music machine, turns our own thoughts inward. She’s caught the ear of the cool kids and the uncertain, and she doesn’t let go of either affinity group throughout her full-length debut album, Know It All.” – NPR
Eric Clapton – The Studio Album Collection 1970-1981 9xLP (Polydor)
This impressive vinyl-only box set brings together all of Eric Clapton’s solo studio albums from his time with the Polydor/RSO label, spanning the period 1971-1981. Each album has been faithfully replicated and pressed on HQ-180gm vinyl and two of them, Eric Clapton and Derek And The Dominos’ Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, have been re-mastered for this release.
Crooked Fingers – Crooked Fingers [2000] LP+MP3 (Merge)
Crooked Fingers – Bring On The Snakes [2001] LP+MP3 (Merge)
Crooked Fingers is the solo project of singer/guitarist Eric Bachmann. In the wake of the 1998 dissolution of his much-beloved previous band Archers Of Loaf, Bachmann founded Crooked Fingers in early 2000. Since then, Crooked Fingers has morphed and evolved to include many band members and tours extensively. Bachmann is also an in-demand record producer and guest player in other touring bands. This is the first time either title has been available on vinyl.
Desgraciados – Humanidad En La Obscuridad 7” (Deranged)
Desgraciados is a blazing Spanish hardcore band hailing from Calgary, Vancouver.
DJDS – Stand Up And Speak LP (Loma Vista)
DJDS (formerly DJ Dodger Stadium) are the young champions and shrewd standard bearers of L.A.’s revitalized music and art scene. SPIN calls them “L.A.’s foremost underground electronic duo.” While the duo’s 2014 debut was steeped in the hypnotic loneliness of L.A., Stand Up And Speak is a total thematic counterpoint, capturing a distinctly Californian sense of community and pioneer spirit. A modern reinvention of electronic music used to cultivate a larger dance music culture building out of Southern California.
Ex-Cult – Stick The Knife In 7” (In The Red)
Three brand new blazing tracks from Memphis’s Ex-Cult. Watch for a new album on In The Red in 2016.
Philip Glass – Candyman II [OST/1995] LP/Cassette (One Way Static)
Philip Glass’ soundtrack for Clive Barker’s 1995 film Candyman II on vinyl.
Gøggs – She Got Harder b/w Billy Is A Runaway 7” (In The Red)
Gøggs is the brainchild of Chris Shaw (Ex-Cult) and Ty Segall. In the planning stages for a long time, the band finally came together in 2015 in Segall’s Los Angeles studio to record an album, which will be released next year. Other participants in the project include Cory Hanson (Wand), Charles Moothart (Fuzz) and Mikal Cronin.
GoldLink – And After That, We Didn’t Talk LP (Soulection)
“On GoldLink’s 2014 debut mixtape The God Complex, the then-20-year-old rapper nailed a difficult balance: soft sounds, hard rhymes. The music—an uptempo mixture of house music and hip-hop signifiers (GoldLink coined the term ‘future bounce’ for it)—offset lyrics full of hypermasculine, purposefully exaggerated sexual boasts and street-savvy narratives. There was something indescribable about hearing the high-voiced rapper spit something like ‘Dick to the face, might choke’ over bubbly champagne synths, and the tape caught on, along with its signature hit ‘Ay Ay.’ The Washington, D.C. rapper toured alongside Mac Miller, as well as electronic producers like SBTRKT and Kaytranada. He even caught the attention of Def Jam founder/music visionary Rick Rubin, who has served as a mentor for his debut album, And After That, We Didn’t Talk.” — Pitchfork
Grave Pleasures – Dreamcrash LP (Metal Blade)
Dreamcrash is the second album by the apocalyptic death metal from Finland.
Husky – Ruckers Hill LP+MP3 (Nevado Music)
Released last summer on CD – now available on vinyl. Australia’s Husky is frontman Husky Gawenda and keyboard player Gideon Preiss cousins who grew up together plus bassist Evan Tweedie and drummer Luke Collins. Their shared passion for rich harmonies and artful songwriting points back to the artists they grew up on: Crosby Stills & Nash, Dylan, Leonard Cohen, The Beach Boys. “It’s rare to find a band comprised entirely of stunning vocalists, however Melbourne’s Husky are a shining example. Fronted by the proficient Husky Gawenda, the combination of the four members’ voices is haunting and demonstrates a unique sensitivity to composing and playing music. This has been beautifully captured on their new studio release, Ruckers Hill, which comes as a much-awaited follow-up to their 2012 debut, Forever So (Sub Pop).” – Renowned For Sound
Idiot Glee – Idiot Glee LP (Hop Hop)
New release from Lexington, KY’s James Friley, follows a string of releases on Moshi Moshi, Ateleir Ciseaux, Burger, Night People and Hop Hop. This ambitious and wide ranging recording is a piano heavy affair, with Friley playing nearly all of the instrumentation himself. The LP is packed with undeniable grooves, peppered with synths and instrumental work in the vein of Eno or Harmonia, and combined with Friley’s songwriting influences of John Cale, Nilsson, Brian Wilson, Fleetwood Mac and many more. Artwork by Robert Beatty.
The Lavender Flu – Heavy Air 2xLP (Meds)
This new album from Chris Gunn (Hospitals, The Hunches) is extremely psychedelic and dense with layers and layers yielding new secrets with each listen. Songs/melodies/lyrics appear and reappear as half remembered dreams or reconstructed memories. It’s a circuitous path through pop songs.
Magic Circle – Journey Blind LP (20 Buck Spin)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Tunes are rude, vicious. Some lumber ominously along, bare-fisting the downbeat through riffs risen from basements held in the odors of stale beer, mold and want. Others stuff the song’s shape with directional changes—tipping a cap to Trouble and Saint Vitus via Sabbath. All the dots are easily connected.”
Melt Yourself Down – Melt Yourself Down [Reissue/2013] LP+CD (Leaf)
Melt Yourself Down – Dot To Dot LP+CD (Leaf)
“Melt Yourself Down is the sound of Cairo ’57, Cologne ’72, New York ’78, London today. North and south, east and west. Horns blowing, drums vibrating, a suffocating fever dream. Primal. Vital. The house band from hell. Making music you can see, sounds you can smell, vibrations you can taste. Fierce funk and punk and detonated jazz. Rhythms to rearrange your DNA.”
Van Morrison – Common One [Reissue/1980] LP (Rhino)
Van Morrison – Beautiful Vision [Reissue/1982] LP (Rhino)
Van Morrison – Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart [Reissue/1983] LP (Rhino)
Vinyl reissue of the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth studio albums by the Northern Irish singer/songwriter.
Murcoff – Martes + Utopia [Reissue/2002] 3xLP+CD (Leaf)
Murcof’s 2002 masterpiece Martes reissued as part of Leaf 20. Now available on limited edition triple vinyl, it has been re-sequenced with the original tracks from the subsequent Utopía CD, plus three rarities from the Martes era, in new, updated artwork. Includes a CD of the original Martes album.
Naked Lights – On Nature LP (Castle Face)
Shades of post-punk, dub, even anarcho-punk are thrillingly blended into wholly futuristic shapes that defy easy categorization.
Neville Brothers – Yellow Moon [Reissue/1989] LP (A&M)
The Neville Brothers made a bid for pop/rock stardom with the well-produced A&M debut album Yellow Moon. For this album, they enlisted the help of producer Daniel Lanois to meld their voices and rhythms with his swampy dreamscapes. Part of UMe’s ongoing Respect The Classics vinyl reissue campaign.
Northwind – Sister, Brother, Lover… [Reissue/1971] LP (Beatball)
The sole album from Scottish rock band Northwind reissued officially for the first time in over 40 years. Originally issued by Regal Zonophone in 1971, this highly sought after release has never been reissued on LP officially. The band’s sound has been likened to that of the twin lead guitar style of Help Yourself/early Wishbone Ash with refined vocals. The songs are spiced with tasteful organ/piano and additional percussion throughout.
Cian Nugent – Night Fiction LP (Woodsist)
Night Fiction is Cian Nugent’s third proper album but his first taking on the role of singer/songwriter. Where his previous two (2013’s Born With The Caul and 2011’s Doubles) explore extended guitar-based instrumentals with his band, The Cosmos, here he reigns things in and focuses his songwriting skills. Guitar fans, do not fear-there is still plenty of soloing and fingerpicking here. Comprised of both solo and full-band material, Night Fiction amalgamates everything Nugent has done up to this point and reveals a broader palate of influences, including The Velvet Underground, Richard Thompson, Television, Neil Young, John Lennon, Fred Neil, etc.
Pernice Brothers – Yours, Mine & Ours [2003] LP (American Dust)
Written and conceived in the summer and fall of 2002, Yours, Mine & Ours, the third Pernice Brothers album, may have been a joy to record, but it’s hardly a musical exercise in uplift. To quote the original 2003 press release, “The record may share its title with a breezy, feel-good Doris Day motion picture, but to quote the colossal talent that is Rip Torn, ‘This ain’t that.’”
Including modern power-pop classics such as “The Weakest Shade Of Blue,” “Baby In Two” and “One Foot In The Grave,” Yours, Mine & Ours received near-universal acclaim from critics with stellar notices from both Pitchfork and The A.V. Club. The album also ranked #22 on The Village Voice’s 2003 Pazz And Jop poll.
Seinabo Sey – Pretend 2xLP (Virgin)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. Pretend is a pop album saturated in soul and full of big melodic songs and forward thinking production (courtesy of Madonna collaborator Magnus Lidehäll) that draws on real, sometimes painfully relatable moments. Features 16 tracks including “Younger (Kygo Remix)” and “Hard Time.”
Frank Sinatra – Songs For Swingin’ Lovers [Reissue/1956] LP (Capitol)
Frank Sinatra’s romantic masterpiece, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Originally released in 1956 and celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2016, Songs For Swingin’ Lovers features classic standards and signature Sinatra recordings including “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Love Is Here To Stay” and “You Make Me Feel So Young.”
Troye Sivan – Blue Neighborhood 2xLP (Capitol)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut full length from South African-born Australian actor, singer, songwriter, and YouTuber Troye Sivan. Blue Neighborhood is a musical trip full of twists and turns, cutting-edge production, sparse booming beats, majestic flourishes and beautiful modern poetry.
Soundtrack – High Fidelity [Reissue/2000] 2xLP (Geffen)
High Fidelity is a 2000 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears. It stars John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, Tim Robbins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Lisa Bonet. The film is based on the 1995 British novel of the same name by Nick Hornby, with the setting moved from London to Chicago and the name of the lead character changed. After seeing the film, Hornby expressed his happiness with Cusack’s performance, saying that “at times, it appears to be a film in which John Cusack reads my book”. The soundtrack includes songs by The Kinks, 13th Floor Elevators, The Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and many others.
Soundtrack – Pretty Woman [Reissue/1990] LP (Capitol)
If you ever wanted songs by David Bowie, Robert Palmer, Roxette, Natalie Cole, Peter Cetera, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane Wiedlin, Go West, Roy Orbison, Christopher Otcasek, and Lauren Wood on a single vinyl disc and package in a sleeve featuring a picture of Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, you’re in luck — this soundtrack is totally for you.
The Triffids – Born Sandy Devotional [Reissue/1986] LP+MP3 (Domino)
Like some unholy trinity, The Triffids, along with Nick Cave and The Go Betweens seemingly conspired to change people’s attitude towards Antipodean rock in the mid-eighties, never before taken even remotely seriously. 1984 was the pivotal year when The Go Betweens released Spring Hill Fair, Cave debuted with From Her To Eternity and, in late August, The Triffids arrived in the UK with two albums in tow, Treeless Plain and the mini-LP Raining Pleasure, recorded and released in Australia for Hot Records and, before the year was out, released in the UK by Rough Trade. For this very special HQ-180gm vinyl reissue the band’s 1986 album Born Sandy Devotional, digitally re-mastered tracks were transferred back to tape to enable the creation of new production masters through a fully analog signal chain. “A true audiophile release of one of the most influential Australian bands ever!”
Waveless – Spirit Island 12” (Deranged)
Waveless is a three-piece from Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing layered, reverberating music. Its members formed the group after the demise of their short-lived noisy punk band Total Trash.
Finding inspiration in the likes of Slowdive, Neil Young and Sonic Youth, Spirit Island is moody without being saccharine, sincere without being self-indulgent.
Wildbirds & Peacedrums – Rivers [2010] LP+CD (Leaf)
Wildbirds & Peacedrums 2010 album Rivers is available on vinyl for the first time. It features the track Peeling Off the Layers, used to devastating effect this year as the title music for Sky Atlantic’s (UK) flagship series Fortitude.
Cassettes:
Basement – Promise Everything (Run For Cover)
“Ipswich band Basement went on indefinite hiatus in 2013, just after releasing their second record Colourmeinkindness. Accruing a dedicated posthumous following, the band came back with a three song EP in 2014, showing that a break hadn’t stopped their progression in style. If Colourmeinkindness epitomized the grunge worship that defined 2012, then Promise Everything sees Basement finding the perfect balance between aggressive and melodic. It sounds like Jimmy Eat World via Soundgarden, so, basically it has everything you’ve been waiting for in a rock record since forever.” – Noisey [Music By Vice]
Philip Glass – Candyman II [OST/1995] (One Way Static)
Philip Glass’ soundtrack for Clive Barker’s 1995 film Candyman II on cassette.
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